


The Kiss-and-Wake-Up Problem

by BubblyWashingMachine



Category: Ever After High
Genre: Angst, Apple is basically depressed, Apple is queer, Basically a lot of people get mentioned, But I still love these dorks a lot, Depression, F/F, Gen, I don't know why I still write for this fandom, I'm sorry for writing this, Nonbinary Kitty Cheshire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 09:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubblyWashingMachine/pseuds/BubblyWashingMachine
Summary: Apple doesn't know what to do with herself, now that her destiny is gone. Is there any reason to care anymore?All she does is hurt people.The kiss-and-wake-up problem seems distant, now. Perhaps it would be better to never wake up.





	The Kiss-and-Wake-Up Problem

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my phone mostly when I should have been paying attention in class. Sorry for any mistakes... and I hope you enjoy it, even if it is a little sad.

Raven is not evil.

Apple White lay under her soft, mother-goosefeather quilt and listened to the breathing of her roommate. Outside their shared window, the fingers of enchanted vines rustled reassuringly against the stone walls, and an owl hooted a mournful tune.

It wasn't often that one heard a mournful tune in Ever After. It was strange, and Apple held her breath and absorbed the unusual sound, falling asleep eventually filled with a gentle sadness. What did a bird in Ever After have to be sad about? she wondered.

When she woke, cheerful bluebirds once again chirped merrily on her windowsill, and she couldn't remember why her cheeks were decorated with salty dried tears.

Raven is never going to be evil.

Apple sat at her regular table in the castleteria and stared at her hands. She could hear the Rebels laughing about something. Probably something Raven said. About her, maybe. Madeline Hatter's loud, snuffling laugh, Cedar Wood's light, breezy giggle, Cerise Hood's low chuckle, and Kitty Cheshire's quiet snickering drifted across to where Apple was sitting.

No one on the Royal table was laughing. No, they were comparing chemythstry notes and complaining about the way their teachers gave them too much thronework, as if thronework wasn't important. As if these spoilt princes and princess's future Kingdoms would run themselves.

Apple stood up ubruptly, her tray untouched. As always, every head in the room turned her way. Like she did all forms of attention, the future queen soaked up their adoration, admired the silence that meant everyone was waiting for her to say something profound. As always, their loyalty to Apple was unflinching, as was their steady, wide-eyed gazes upon her.

Today, she had nothing profound to say, and avoided their eyes.

If Raven wasn't going to be evil, who would poison Apple?

As she sat at her desk, glasses perched on her dainty nose, a quill in her plump fingers, Apple thought about Raven Queen. This in itself was not a rare occurrence, but today Apple granted herself extra thinking-about-Raven time because Raven was, at that moment, attending a study party at Cedar's room. Apple, though technically invited - "You can come, if you like," Raven smiled hopefully, paused at the door, waited for a response. She acted like one day Apple would wake up and be the same as she used to be. Didn't she understand? This, this was Apple now. Nothing was the same anymore. Apple shook her head, watched Raven falter and, eventually, leave - had decided to finish her princessology thronework, take a walk through the rose garden, and go to bed early.

She had finished her work a few minutes ago and now sat listlessly. If she strained her ears, and stayed very quiet, she could imagine Raven's voice singing along to Taylor Quick from Cedar's room. Apple had heard Raven sing many times before. She had a voice that could rival that of a princess.  
Of course, Raven was a princess, wasn't she?

Did she want Raven to be evil?

Apple strolled lazily through the garden, waiting for the stars to come out. She would only return to the room once everyone else was asleep, to avoid the awkward questions and the inevitable concerned faces, whispering behind her back. "What's wrong with her?" "It's Raven Queen's fault. So selfish." "How can we cheer her up?"

Her mirrorphone buzzed.

Briar Beauty: Heeeey girl, just wondering if you wanted to hang out tomorrow at Book End? We can go to that cafe with the enchanting apple pie!! ♥

Apple put it away without replying. Briar was trying so hard. It almost made Apple sad.

"It must be nice, having people worry about you," a voice behind her drawled. Apple turned slowly.

"It must be nice, having no one care about you at all," she snapped, upon seeing Kitty Cheshire's grinning face. Kitty's smile only widened, their feet dangling over the edge of the branch they perched dangerously upon.

Kitty leaned forward, their smile suddenly betraying a kind of concern.  
"They do worry, you know." they switched back to looking bored. "You're not the same annoying spoilt princess you were when we first met. I'm probably the only one who doesn't care," they purred nonchalantly, looking at their nails. "Which I don't. Care."

"Good. I don't need any more people caring about me." Apple said. She waited for a reply, but Kitty only tilted their head. It seemed like chapters until the strange, androgynous feline finally answered.

"There is one other, who doesn't care like the same as the other soft people do. Sometimes, she watches you. She smells like," Kitty wrinkled their nose, "sadness. She misses you, maybe. Or she missed breakfast. Perhaps both."

Apple forced herself to remain expressionless. Was it Raven?

"The other soft one. What is her story?" she asked carefully.

"The one with no story," Kitty yawned, "the one who's entwined with a shiny one. Your enemy, your muse. The bird one."

It was Raven, then. Raven was in love with 'a shiny one'- she was dating Dexter Charming. Though, was she Apple's enemy? She was a Royal, and Raven was evil. They weren't enemies anymore, though.

Well, no. She wasn't evil. Apple had to keep reminding herself this. She would never be evil, because she just... Wasn't. There was no reason. She had no story, now. She was writing her own - with her prince by her side.

Apple had seen no reason to keep pretending what she wanted was a prince, after Raven had rebelled. Because if Raven had no story, neither did Apple, and no story meant no prince.

What a relief.

"Quit thinking so hard, fleshy fruit. I can't think over the narration, it's sooo buzzy. I don't care about how you're queer, or how the bird one is with a not-girl. But, maybe, and I had this idea just this sentence, there is a princess out there for you - she looks at you all the time, moony eyed, and skadoodle-doodles your name on her thronework, her name is Da-"

"Stop!" Apple shrieked. "I don't want to know! Why are you telling me these things?"

Kitty smiled, shrugged. "All I ever hear is how you're so sad, all the time. People everywhere are no fun anymore. You, and your sticky sadness, has made everyone sad, and it's all they ever talk about. No one has time for fun or games anymore." Kitty rolled over onto their back.

"except you."

"except me," Kitty clarified.

What was evil?

Was evil letting your own feelings corrupt everyone around you? Apple tossed and turned in her bed that night. Was evil being so afraid if the future that you waste the present? She shuffled through the hallways, hunched over.

Raven cried a lot. Apple had stopped crying.  
One day, Apple found Raven crying in their room. Unsure of what to do, she cleared her throat. The dark haired girl started.

"Apple! I... You don't usually come back here until it's dark."

That was true. She usually spent her afternoons in the rose garden escaping the materialistic world of Ever After with Kitty Cheshire. Today, she wasn't up for Kitty's annoyingly vague answers or riddles.

"I forgot my glasses," she lied. It was a lie because she always left them there on purpose, now, because it was better if she couldn't see the pitying glances the other students, and teachers, sent her way.

"Oh. Okay." Raven sniffled, clearly embarrassed. She was a lot softer than people realised, beneath the black clothes and silver spikes. Apple knew this more than most - and just as Raven was exploring her soft side, Apple had discovered a hard side of herself, a dark, unfeeling side.

What was the point of being a princess anymore? Nothing was certain. Now that nothing was set in stone, Apple wasn't even sure she wanted to be a queen.

Raven took a shuddering breath. Apple looked away from her mascara blackened eyes, eyes she used to adore so much.

"Apple... I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I should have just signed the book. I didn't know..."

Apple left the room. She couldn't bear seeing Raven's distraught face, wracked with guilt, knowing that Dexter would be the one to comfort her.

"Just talk to her," Kitty rolled their eyes. "You fleshy people are so weird."

"She doesn't want me to talk to her. She wants me to forgive her."

"But you can't, forgive the unforgivable unspeakabubble?"

"Not... Not yet."

What was evil?  
Was Apple evil, for being empty? It was hard for her, but harder for others, when it was revealed that without her destiny, she was nothing. She had no goal, no purpose.

"You could get your precious destiny glory back." Kitty suggested. "Just ask the bird to poison apple you, Apple. Give Apple a poison apple, so she becomes a poisoned Apple. Apple."

Apple looked down at her bitten nails. In the distance, the First Years screeching and laughing sounded like the calls of harpies.

"I couldn't ask her to do that. And besides, who would wake me up? Raven is the only one I ever wanted. And she hates me."

"Maybe. Maybe not. There is a princess though, I told you, she would absolutely be willing to kiss-"

"Do you spy on everyone?"

Kitty shrugged. "Just the un-dull ones. Your story needs an ending, flesh fruit. Don't make it a non-interesting The End."

At the time, Apple had dismissed the poison apple idea, but in her room, listening to Raven breathe, the kiss-and-wake-up problem seemed distant.

Maybe she didn't want to wake up.


End file.
